Residency Becomes Part of the Police Review Board Debate
by Doug La Rocque
Last spring, following an executive order from former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Hoosick Falls Village Board formed a committee to begin a review of the policies and practices of the Village Police Department. Part of their report was the suggestion the Village form a Civilian and Reform Board to assist and advise the department, though they would lack any regulatory powers. To that effect, a local law was drafted and a public hearing on such was held at their Tuesday, April 12 meeting. There were no speakers.
Later in the evening, when it came time to vote on the law, Trustee Megan Walraed asked if it was true there was a clause in the law that would allow non-village residents to serve on the Board. The answer, according to Village Attorney Andy Gilchrist, was yes. There are some specific conditions to this service, in general being the person in question would have to possess qualifications or experience that made their service desirable. That would only come about if the Village Board was to grant a waiver of residency. Ms. Walraed was joined in her apprehension to this clause by Trustee Deb Alter, with both voting against the new law. It passed however, with four yes votes. Mayor Allen feeling poorly through the evening, left for home before the vote. The actual appointments to the Board will take place at the Organizational Meeting on Monday, April 25 at 6 pm.
Budget
There was also a public hearing, again with no speakers, on the 2022-23 Village budget, which contains an approximately 1 percent tax hike, under the NYS Tax Cap. The final vote on the budget will also take place at the April 25 gathering.
PFOA Study
Dr. Erin Bell of the NYS Department of Health spoke at the meeting about a multi-site PFAS Study that includes those exposed to PFOAs. A lab has been established in Hoosick Falls at 150 Main Street. The Hoosick Falls portion of the study is also open to Petersburgh residents. Researches will be looking closely at the role PFAS may play in various health outcomes by analyzing results from blood tests, health-related lab tests along with medical and exposure histories. For questions or to enroll, please email PFAS@albnay.edu or call 833-732-7697.
We Are Here to Stay
Jim Monahan from the Hoosick Falls Rescue Squad also spoke to the Trustees, saying rumors of the organizations pending demise are simply untrue. He talked about recruiting efforts (the squad is always looking for new EMTs and Drivers), their ride along program to show an individual what it is all about, and well as fundraising efforts.
Woods Brook
As of the meeting, there was only one building left to come down, that at 107 Main Street. It is owned by Rensselaer County, and the County Legislature, meeting the same evening, approved the transfer of ownership to the Village. Demolition of the structure is now expected to take place shortly, which will be followed by the completion of the flood prevention efforts.
Classic Street Sidewalk
Trustee Kevin O’Malley mentioned the troubling spot on Classic Street (NYS Route 22) was simply getting worse with little hope the NYS Department of Transportation was going to do anything about it. The discussion then turned to several other sidewalk woes, with the suggestion made that in the coming year’s budget, some of the roadwork monies be diverted to address these issues. Mayor Rob Allen noted the amount of road repaving they planned to do was already being reduced because of the soaring rate for asphalt. As to the Village’s ability to address the Classic Street situation, Attorney Gilchrist labeled it “complicated” and said that he would review the rules and regulations concerning such Village involvement.
Other Points of Interest
Hydrant flushing will take place on Monday, May 2 for Wards 2 and 3. The flushing for Wards 1 and 4 is slated for Tuesday, May 3. We will publish the dates for street sweeping as soon as they are finalized.
The Louis Miller Museum will hold its Grand Re-opening on Saturday, April 30 from 11 am to 4 pm, with a ceremony scheduled for 1 pm.
The Little League Parade will also take place on April 30, with line up at Wood Park at 9:30 am.
Village Cleanup Day is slated for Saturday, April 23 starting at 8:30 am. Volunteers are asked to gather at the Wood Park Gazebo. Bring glovers, rakes, brooms and lots of energy.
The Village police continue to respond to significantly more calls this year than in years past, both inside and outside the Village. Twenty-one of the calls last month were outside the Village limits but still in the Town of Hoosick. The department is continuing their work with Unity House.
A review and update of the latest ARPA information was tabled until another meeting.